62% of UK retailers are already planning for Black Friday, yet 69% of all eCommerce visitors abandon their shopping cart

Black Friday

New research published by Acceleration Partners shows that 62% of UK retailers are already planning ahead for Black Friday. November 23rd may seem a long time away, but Black Friday is becoming one of the biggest days in the retail world and this research finds that three fifths of UK retailers are already planning for it.

Acceleration Partners surveyed 416 online retailers about this annual event. When asked why they are preparing well ahead, 56% said that they wanted to have the best offering on the market, and to ensure that they have plenty of time to market these offers (44%).

Of those who have taken part in Black Friday previously, 92% saw an increase in the number of visitors to their website, and a further 71% saw an increase in sales.

“Once an American tradition, Black Friday has really taken off in the UK over the past few years, particularly in online retail and forward planning is essential to maximise return from the event,” commented Sophie Parry-Billings, EMEA marketing manager at Acceleration Partners.

Is all this preparation being wasted?

Other research, this time from the Baymard Institute, shows that 69% of all eCommerce visitors abandon their shopping cart. While the research identified a number of reasons why online shoppers may abandon their cart, the third most common cause of abandonment (28%) was a “too long / complicated checkout process”.

Enhancing the User Experience

Incorporating Data8’s validation services such as address, phone and bank validation, can help to enhance the user experience, reduce cart abandonment and maximise the return: on Black Friday and every other day.

Whilst preparing for Black Friday, it would also be good to look to clean up your database or CRM. Data8 cleansing services could help increase the effectiveness of your advance marketing including reducing duplicates, screening for TPS and appending new information.